New research into black holes has shed doubt on the idea they could one day be used to travel across the universe.
Research presented at the Institute of Physics conference in Warwick indicates a person would not survive if they were swallowed by a black hole.
Instead, they would be instantly vaporised by a blast of hot gas.
Black holes are objects with extremely powerful gravity, that can suck up stars and tear them apart by sheer gravitational force.
Their gravity is so strong not even light can escape from them, making them impossible to see.
It had been previously thought that once inside a black hole, a person would see a powerful point of light, which would be a reflection of the entire universe, before being spat out at another point.
The theory led to speculation by scientists that black holes could be used to travel around the universe.
(BBC)
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